District 5 schools recommended for accreditation, but with room for improvement

ANDERSON - A team of independent evaluators said Wednesday that the schools in Anderson District 5 deserve to be accredited for maintaining appropriate standards, but that they could improve their efforts to ensure students have "equitable learning experiences."

The school district is the county's largest and is led by Superintendent Betty Bagley, who plans to retire in June. The district goes through an accreditation process — which includes evaluations of its teaching methods, its resources and its student performances — every five years.

District 5 got high marks for its overall standards, generally averaging a rating of three on a four-point scale. The district was commended for its use of data in instruction, its process for developing curricula, the knowledge of its board members and the support services offered to students, including mental-health help. The district was evaluated by AdvancED, an independent accreditation agency whose findings are recognized worldwide. The agency sent a six-member team with backgrounds in education to evaluate District 5. Team members came from Georgia, Florida and other parts of South Carolina.

Rozalyn Wright, a retired school administrator from Florida, was the lead evaluator.

Wright said that, overall, District 5 did well and would be recommended for accreditation. An accreditation commission will make the final decision in June or July, she said.

There is one condition before accreditation will be granted: Administrators must review and revise the district's "statement of purpose," Wright said.

According to its website, the school district's mission is to "educate all students and produce graduates with the knowledge and skills to be lifelong learners, individuals of ethical character, and citizens who contribute to an ever-changing global society."

Wright presented several areas in which the district can make improvements.

The school district received its lowest mark — a 1.8 — on its use of digital technology. Wright said the AdvancED evaluators visited 31 classrooms and would have liked to see more students using technology during their daily learning.

The evaluators suggested posting model examples of assigned work to help ensure students' success. Wright said the district should also set up a process to monitor instructional practices "through supervision and evaluation." Wright said the team found the district could do more to ensure "equitable learning experiences in each course and class." She suggested that the district also have in place mechanisms for student advocacy. She said the district should find ways to increase participation of "stakeholders," including students and parents.

The accreditation agency will issue its final written report to the school district within 30 days. The draft report was not made available to the public Wednesday.

"We'll dissect it and take it to heart," Bagley said. "Our students are better when we are better. The reason for the whole process is to improve, not to say atta boy."